Israel preparing for new war: Hezbollah chief
By DPA
Beirut : Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, Friday accused Israel of preparing for a new war against his country, similar to the July 2006 conflict.
"Israel's killing of Hezbollah leader Imad Muganiyeh is a prelude to open war against Lebanon and part of new tactics by Israel of cutting off the heads of Hezbollah leaders," Nasrallah said.
He was addressing a massive rally in Beirut's southern suburbs to commemorate the death of Muganiyeh, who was killed in a car bomb blast Feb 12 in Damascus.
Netanyahu begins talks to form new Israeli government
Jerusalem : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday began negotiations for the formation of the next government, a process that will continue at...
More aid trucks enter Gaza but supplies insufficient – UN
By NNN-UNNS
Gaza : Some 37 trucks carrying supplies made it into Gaza from Israel Thursday, but the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) noted that while that is an improvement, it is far from what is required to meet current needs.
The trucks were carrying paper for schoolbooks, from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), as well as sugar and wheat flour from the World Food Programme (WFP). Commercial imports of dairy products and frozen meat also made it through.
UAE to observe International Nurses Day
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will observe International Nurses Day May 12.
The theme this year is "Nurses: Together For Healthier Lives".
The day is celebrated in memory of Florence Nightingale who was born May 12 and founded nursing as a modern profession.
This year's event is organised by the Emirates Nursing Association (ENA) in collaboration with Medscope International FZ LLC.
The celebration will include scientific, cultural and educational programmes.
Taliban commander nabbed in Afghanistan
By SPA
Kandahar, Afghanistan : Police arrested a senior Taliban commander who has escaped twice from prisons in Afghanistan, nabbing him during a clash in the country's south that left three insurgents dead, an official said Tuesday.
The militants, led by Taliban commander Mullah Naqibullah and dressed in police uniforms, ambushed a police convoy Monday north of the Helmand province capital of Lashkar Gah, provincial police chief Mohammad Hussein Andiwal said.
Iran warns of imposing new limits on cooperation with IAEA
By SPA,
Tehran, Iran : Iran's new parliament speaker says Tehran could impose new limits on its cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog.
Iran's former nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, was elected as parliament speaker Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.
Moments later, he told parliament that a new report by the International Atomic Energy Agency was deplorable.
Syrian President issues two decrees to increase wages
By KUNA,
Damascus : Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad on Saturday issued two decrees to increase the wages and salaries rate 25 percent for government employees and resigned employees with pension salaries.
A presidential statement said the first decree, number 24, stipulates the increase of wages and monthly salaries for the civilian and military workers in ministries, departments and public institutions, companies, public sector enterprises, municipalities, local government units, companies, public establishments, private schools and other public sector bodies.
Fresh US-Iran talks halted, not dead: Iraqi minister
By DPA,
Baghdad : The latest round of talks between the US and Iran over Iraqi security has been stalled against the backdrop of rising tension between both countries but would be held at the right time and place, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Wednesday.
Speaking at a press conference, Zebari said the Iraqi government has not asked either country to hold the fourth round of talks.
"There is growing tension in the area," Zebari said, adding that neither Washington nor Tehran has rejected the idea of holding talks.
Dubai is most transparent real estate market in Middle East’
By IANS,
Dubai : This Middle Eastern metropolis showed the greatest improvement in real estate transparency globally in the last two years and is also the most transparent market in the region, a new report said.
According to the Real Estate Transparency Report 2008, released here Monday by leading real estate investment and advisory firm Jones Lang LaSalle, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi followed Dubai as the most transparent markets in the region.
Six killed in Iraq clashes
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : At least six people were killed and 30 others wounded in clashes between the US-backed Iraqi security forces and Shia militia here Sunday, an official said.
Cashes broke out early Sunday between the two sides in Sadr city neighbourhood of the Iraqi capital. Three mortar rounds struck a house, killing six people and wounding 30, the official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Several houses were also damaged in the attack. Baghdad's Sadr city is a stronghold of the Mahdi Army militia.
Afghan government condemns attacks on international soldiers
By Xinhua,
Kabul : The Afghan government Thursday condemned the attacks on foreign security forces fighting Taliban insurgency in the country and described these as "cowardly" acts.
Three Canadian soldiers were killed and nine Australian soldiers were wounded in southern Afghanistan's Kandahar province Wednesday in an attack by Taliban elements.
"Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry strongly condemns the attack of terrorists on Canadian troops which claimed the lives of three soldiers," a statement by foreign ministry said.
Malaysian court rejects Hindraf leader’s freedom bid
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : A Malaysian court Wednesday rejected a fresh bid for freedom by an ethnic Indian leader who cited medical neglect and danger to his life while in detention under the stringent Internal Security Act (ISA).
High Court judge Justice Suraya Othman dismissed a habeas corpus application by Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) legal adviser P. Uthayakumar, who is serving a two year jail term along with four others leaders of the organisation, Star Online said.
Saudi relief plane leaves for Myanmar
By IINA,
Riyadh : A Saudi Arabian cargo plane, carrying 73 tons of urgent assistance left King Khaled International Airport here yesterday morning for Yangon, capital of Myanmar. The planeload of relief supplies include foodstuffs, medicines and blankets.
This was in line with the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz to provide urgent assistance in order to alleviate the suffering of people affected by the devastating cyclone Nargis and flood that hit Myanmar recently, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Pakistani daily bats for official who spoke trade with India
By IANS,
Islamabad : A Pakistani daily is unhappy that a senior official who played an important role in the relaxation of the trade regime with India "has been put out to pasture".
Fresh attacks on Libya airport, toll 30
Tripoli : Libya's international airport in capital Tripoli came under renewed attack Wednesday with the death toll reaching 30, according to security sources.
Heavy weapons...
60 prisoners killed in Iraq attack
Baghdad : Up to 60 prisoners were killed in a bomb and gunfire attack on a convoy transferring prison inmates near Iraq's capital Baghdad...
Baghdad blasts toll rises to 139
By DPA,
Baghdad : Iraqi Health Minister Saleh al-Haswany said Monday that the toll in Sunday's twin truck bomb suicide attacks was at least 139 but the figure is feared to go yet higher amid the ongoing search in the rubble for victims.
The Al-Arabiya news channel reported 155 deaths and at least 700 injured after the two truck bombs went off near the Ministry of Justice and Baghdad Council buildings in central Baghdad.
NATO says 20 insurgents killed in Afghanistan
By DPA,
Kabul : NATO and Afghan forces killed more than 20 insurgents in southern Afghanistan, including Arab, Chechen and Pakistani fighters, NATO said Saturday.
The offensive began Wednesday against militants in Zadran, a mountainous district in Paktiya province.
Separately, a NATO soldier was killed Saturday in an attack by insurgents in the south of the country, the military said without giving further information.
Bomb explosion kills 4 including 2 U.S. advisors in S Afghanistan
By Xinhua,
KABUL : Four persons including two U.S. advisors were killed as a remote-controlled bomb exploded in Nadalid district of Helmand province in south Afghanistan on Sunday, Kamaludin Khan, deputy to provincial police of Helmand province said.
"The police found a mine in Nadlai district at 10:00 a.m. local time (0530 GMT) when police and American advisers went to the site to defuse it and suddenly it was exploded by remote control killing four persons including two American advisers, their local interpreter and a police," khan told Xinhua.
Pakistan resisting US pressure for more data on its air travelers
By NNN-APP,
New York : Pakistan is resisting increasing Obama administration’s pressure to provide the United States with much broader airline passenger information to track terrorist travel patterns, The New York Times reported Monday.
Citing unnamed administration officials, the newspaper said in a front-page report that Pakistan had for several years rebuffed the request but the issue is now on a short list of sticking points between the two countries that have intensified since the failed Times Square car bombing attempt.
Palestinian attorney general survives assassination attempt in Ramallah
By Xinhua,
Ramallah : Palestinian Attorney General on Tuesday said he survived an assassination attempt when a small bomb went off in his car trunk in West Bank city of Ramallah.
The attorney general Ahmed al-Mughani said he escaped unharmed after he heard the sound of a small explosion when he was starting up the engine at his house garage.
"I found out that a bomb was attached in the trunk has exploded, pierced the petrol tank and caused damage to the car," al-Mughani said, adding that he doesn't accuse any one of plotting the attempt.
UK cost of Iraq, Afghan wars approaching Pnds 12 bn
By IRNA,
London : The net additional cost for the UK wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is set to reach almost Pnds 12 billion (Dlrs 24 bn) by the end of the current financial year, according to the latest figures released by Defence Secretary Des Browne.
In a written parliamentary reply published Wednesday, Browne revealed escalating costs for British tax-payers of the dual military operations reaching an additional Pnds 3.4 bn from the Treasury Reserve in 2007-08.
No fraud in Iranian elections: Ahmadinejad
By IANS,
Tehran : Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Sunday rejected the opposition's claims of electoral fraud, saying his re-election was "real and free" and could not be questioned.
In his first press conference since the interior ministry announced he won a landslide victory in Friday's balloting, the hardline president said: "The election was free (transparent) and there is no document proving these charges."
Pakistan to beef up security at schools
By IANS,
Faisalabad (Pakistan) : Pakistan will deploy guards at schools in the Punjab province to boost security against terror attacks, a media report said Tuesday.
The local administration has begun a survey in 36 districts to identify the schools that need security, the Online news agency reported.
Meanwhile, officials have declared about 60 schools are vulnerable due to the absence of boundary walls.
The education department has been asked to adopt the new security measures formulated by the provincial government, the report said.
Five killed in Afghanistan roadside blast
By Xinhua
Kabul : Five people, including a child, were killed Tuesday when their vehicle hit a mine in the eastern Afghan province of Khost, an interior ministry official said.
The incident occurred at around 8:30 a.m. in Yaqubi district when the police van struck a mine presumably planted by Taliban insurgents, killing all five on board, said an official on condition of anonymity.
The victims include four policemen and one child who was accompanying his father in the van, he said.
There was no immediate comment from the Taliban.
No dialogue without Kashmir issue, says Pakistan
Islamabad: Days after efforts at cordiality in ties were made by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Indian Premier Narendra Modi in Russian...
Pakistan Snubs US Military Presence
By Prensa Latina
Islamabad : Pakistan holds firm against the US offer to deploy troops in its territory to fight Islamic groups, and warned against any interference by third countries in the conflict.
US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates had said his country was ó ready and trained ó for joint operations within the Asian country, but the government of President Pervez Musharraf has firmly rejected the offer.
Suicide bomber hits anti-Qaida group
By Xinhua
Baghdad : A suicide bomber blew himself up at a checkpoint manned by anti-Qaida group members in a village north of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing several of the group members, police said.
Suicide car bomb blows up near Kabul airport
By DPA
Kabul : A suicide car bomber targeted a vehicle near Kabul's airport Thursday morning, causing an unknown number of casualties, the police said.
The bomber detonated his explosives-packed vehicle near a bus stop on the airport road during rush hour, said a police official at the scene of the attack who asked not to be identified.
The explosion was large and "I think there might be a lot of casualties", he said.
Witness Ahmad Nejad said several cars were damaged and ambulances had arrived at the scene.
Japan Troops to Iraq Unconstitutional
By Prensa Latina,
Tokyo : The Supreme Court of Nagoya City Thursday ruled unconstitutional the sending of Japan's Self-defence Forces to Iraq, in the first judicial sentence pronounced in the country in relation to the issue.
The mission of those troops in the Arab country is against the peaceful Japanese Constitution in force since the Second World War, said Judge Kunio Aoyama, when referring to article 9 of the Constitution.
According to that article, the Japanese people renounces to war as a sovereign right and the use of force as a means to solve international war conflicts.
No more graffiti: Pakistan court to political parties
By IANS,
Islamabad : A court in Pakistan has directed political parties to refrain from graffiti.
Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhury the rallying point for Pakistan’s judges
By IANS,
Islamabad : When former Pakistani military strongman Pervez Musharraf not once, but twice, sacked Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhury as the country's chief justice, little did he realise that he was setting in motion a chain of events that would see the judge literally change the nation's history.
Chaudhury's reinstatement Monday ended a lawyers' 'long march' that was threatening to spin out of control and take the country on the road to instability.
Germany pushes for new UN resolution against Iran
By Xinhua
Berlin : The German government has called for a new U.N. resolution of sanctions against Iran's disputed nuclear program, said a Foreign Ministry spokesman on Wednesday.
"We believe such a resolution is necessary," foreign ministry spokesman Martin Jaeger told reporters in Berlin.
Jaeger said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has invited his counterparts from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council to join talks in Berlin next Tuesday.
Israel, Hamas extend truce in Gaza
Cairo: A five-day ceasefire extension agreement has been reached between Israel and Hamas in Cairo to give the two sides a chance to hold...
Imam jailed on terrorism charges in Italy
By IANS/AKI,
Milan : An Egypt-born Muslim preacher has been jailed here on terrorism charges by Italy's top appeals court, officials said.
Abu Imad, a former imam at Milan's Viale Jenner mosque, had allegedly set up a religious cell, which was recruiting suicide bombers and trafficking illegal immigrants, in Milan and in Lombardy region.
Pakistani forces arrest senior Al Qaeda leader, kill 19 militants
Islamabad: Pakistani security forces, who are engaged in a major offensive in the North Waziristan tribal region, have arrested a senior Al Qaeda leader...
Pakistani fisherman dies after 13 years in Indian jail
By IANS,
Islamabad : A Pakistani fisherman has died after languishing in a prison in India for 13 years, a newspaper reported Sunday.
Iraq’s Sadr declares renewal of ceasefire
By Xinhua
Baghdad : Iraq's radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered on Friday to extend the six-month-old ceasefire of his Mahdi Army militia, an aide for Sadr said.
"I can confirm that Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr has ordered to renew the freeze of the Mahdi Army for another period," Hazim al-Araji, a top aide for Sadr told reporters.
Araji said that the declaration was sent by letters to all of Sadr offices in Iraq.
‘France ready to help Bangladesh build nuclear power station’
By Xinhua,
Dhaka : France's envoy to Dhaka Charley Causeret has said that his country was ready to help build a nuclear power station in Bangladesh.
"Bangladesh can benefit from France's expertise to initiate a nuclear power policy," he said at a seminar titled 'Power Sector Management: Bangladesh Perspective' held here Saturday.
The offer came at a time when Bangladesh is experiencing huge power shortage that consumes almost two percent of the country's GDP growth (gross domestic product).
Guide for bird-watching in UAE launched
By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates' Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) launched the "Birds of the United Arab Emirates" guide Thursday.
Bangladesh has a population of 164.4 million: UN
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh's population is now 164.4 million, up from 156 million a decade back, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has said.
Parliament elects Gillani premier, to be sworn in Tuesday
Islamabad, March 24 (DPA) Pakistan's lower house of parliament Monday elected as the country's 25th prime minister Yousuf Raza Gillani, a member of slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP).
Scheduled to be sworn in Tuesday, Gillani won 264 votes to the 42 for opposition candidate Chaudhry Pervaiz of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid party.
With the announcement of Gillani's election, parliament broke into riotous celebration that lasted nearly 15 minutes.
UK parties criticized for ignoring Afghan war in election campaigns
By IRNA,
London : A distinguished peace activist has criticized British political parties for ignoring the issue of the war in Afghanistan in their election campaigns, saying it is a “complete betrayal of public opinion” which is against the war.
Lindsey German, convenor of the Stop the War Coalition, said on Wednesday that the war in Afghanistan has been having “damaging effects” on civil society in Britain.
Suicide attack kills seven policemen in Afghanistan
By DPA,
Kabul : A suicide car bomb targeted a convoy of Afghan and NATO forces in the northern province of Kunduz Thursday, killing seven policemen and injuring 13 other people, a district governor said.
The bomber rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into one of the vehicles in the province's Emam Saheb district, Mohammad Ayoub Haqyar told DPA.
"Seven policemen were killed in the attack and six other police and seven civilians were injured," he said, adding that a police unit commander was among those killed.
Pakistani authority’s top post sees three changes in 24 hours!
By IANS,
Islamabad : This could well be a new record. The top post at Islamabad's Capital Development Authority (CDA) saw three changes within 24 hours.
Cuba calls for NAM’s more active role in UNSC
By IANS,
Tehran : Cuba, which holds the rotating presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Tuesday called on all member states to strengthen the role of the international grouping in the UN Security Council (UNSC), the official IRNA news agency reported.
"We should strengthen the role of NAM in the UN Security Council in order to help establish durable peace and security at international level," Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque told the 15th NAM foreign ministers' meeting which opened in Tehran Tuesday.
Iran to use EU over sanctions – Iranian Economy and Finance Minister
By NNN-IRNA,
Tehran : Caretaker of Iran's Economy and Finance Ministry Hossein Samsami has said here that Iran has filed a lawsuit against the European Union over banning Bank Melli's operations in London and some other European cities.
Samsami also expressed Sunday hope that the measure could produce positive results.
He also noted that some plans have been made to tackle the sanctions.
The EU recently banned Iran's largest bank, 'Bank Melli' from undertaking banking activities in the EU member states.
Pakistan: apprehension palpable ahead of Feb 18 elections
By NNN-IRIN
Lahore : With just days to go before the general election, colourful flags and election banners flutter in the winter breeze across towns and cities in Pakistan.
But the sense of festivity that usually marks elections in Pakistan is largely absent. A deep sense of apprehension is palpable, and people remain reluctant to join in the rallies and corner meetings.
The months leading up to the polls scheduled for Feb 18 have been marred by a series of deadly suicide bombings.
A Maulana for our time
By Hamid Karzai
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Memorial Lecture 2012 by H.E. Hamid Karzai, President, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
November 12, 2012
US general fears Syrian city will fall to IS
Washington: US Joint Chief of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey has said that it is possible that the Syrian city of Kobani, bordering Turkey, could...
Lebanese presidential vote postponed until Jan. 21 amid political crisis
BEIRUT, Lebanon, January 11 , SPA -- Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Friday postponed a session to elect Lebanon's next president until Jan. 21 _ the 12th such delay since the
sharply divided legislature first tried to select a new head of state, according to AP.
The announcement came after Berri met with Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, who has been holding talks with rival Lebanese factions since Wednesday on an Arab plan calling for the election of army commander, Gen.
IS releases Bangladeshi hostages in Libya
Dhaka:Two Bangladeshis, who were held hostage by the Islamic State (IS) terror group in Libya, have been released after 18 days, the foreign ministry...
Russia calls for ceasefire in Gaza
By DPA,
Moscow : Russia has called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip following Israel's ground offensive that started late Saturday, Russian media reported Sunday.
Moscow was seriously concerned about the situation, President Dmitry Medvedev told Israel's caretaker Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on the telephone Sunday, according to the Itar-Tass news agency said. The two leaders again emphasized the importance of the planned meeting of the so-called Middle East Quartet in Moscow, the report said. No date has been given for the meeting.
Four dead as UN chopper fired upon over Darfur
By AFP,
Khartoum : A helicopter contracted to UN-led peacekeepers crashed in Sudan's Darfur region on Monday, killing all four crew members, after being fired at, the Sudanese police said.
The helicopter was contracted by the joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) to carry food to a force team site in South Darfur state and came under fire near Kalma camp, a police official said.
"A helicopter hired by UNAMID was shot at from Kalma camp," Major-General Hashim Osman, the assistant director-general for security and criminal investigations, said.
Members of defunct extremist outfit arrested
By APP
Muzaffargarh : Four members of an outlawed organisation were arrested by the district police here Wednesday night. The crackdown took place in the aftermath of the deadly bomb blasts which destroyed the FIA building and claimed some 30 lives at Lahore on Tuesday.
Those arrested have been identified as Moinullah, Qari Taj Muhammad Saquib, Abdur Razzaq Mandhera and Rana Ihsan Phullu.
Police also raided the houses of Qari Khalid Mahmood Zia and Maulana Abdur Rashid Bilal at Khangarh but failed to apprehend them.
Agenda of Arab Summit endorsed
By NNN-SANA
Damascus : Arab permanent representatives to the Arab League and senior officials of the foreign ministries have endorsed the agenda of the 20th Arab summit which will be submitted to the meeting of the Arab foreign ministers in preparation for the Arab Summit scheduled here on March 29-30.
Monday's session was chaired by Syria's permanent representative to the Arab League Youssef Ahmad.
Iran unveils hovercraft
By IANS,
Tehran: Iran Monday unveiled indigenously built hovercraft that can launch missiles and serve as launch pad for drones.
Casualties of unexploded cluster bombs in Lebanon hit 29,900 – UN official
By NNN-KUNA
Beirut : The unexploded cluster bombs and anti-personnel landmines left by Israel during the July, 2006 war against Lebanon killed and injured 29,200 people so far, said spokesperson of the United Nations Mine Action Coordination Centre (UNMACC) Dalia Farran here Friday.
She made the remarks during a ceremony held by the UNMACC in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre in observance of the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.
Hamas rejects Israel’s disarmament demand
Cairo : Senior leader of Islamist movement Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, Friday rejected Israel's demand that the group be disarmed as a condition for ending...
Fatah says Bush violates UN resolution on refugees
By Xinhua
Ramallah : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement on Saturday accused U.S. President George W. Bush of violating the UN resolution 194 which is related to the Palestinian refugees.
The UN Resolution 194, adopted in 1948, calls for the return of the Palestinian refugees and compensation paid to those who choose not to go back.
Azzam al-Ahmad, chief of the Fatah parliamentary bloc, said Bush has offered only to compensate the Palestinian refugees, avoiding dealing with their long-anticipated return right.
Flood waters recede, people return home in north Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : Flood waters began receding in northern Pakistan as a major breach in the embankment of the turbulent Indus river has been plugged, restoring life in the worst affected parts of Sindh province back to normalcy, officials said Monday.
The troops of the army engineering corps have succeeded in plugging the Bharya Sheedi Mori breach in Thatta on river Indus, saving the city from the threat of inundation.
The breach has been 80 percent plugged. People in large number are coming back to their houses amid continuing floods in Sajawal, Geo News reported.
Pakistan: four Afghans caught in weekend attack on military camp
By NNN-AfghanNews,
Islamabad : Four militants captured in a brazen weekend raid on a military base in Pakistan's northwest came from across the border in Afghanistan, the military said Monday.
The paramilitary camp was attacked early Sunday by about 600 militants, most believed to be from Afghanistan, sparking a major clash that left six security troops and 49 insurgents dead.
The Pakistani Frontier Corps said in a statement Monday that four militants captured in the battle came from Afghanistan's Kunar province, directly across the border.
Pakistan-born student found guilty of supporting LeT
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington: A Pakistan-born student of Georgia Tech in Atlanta has been found guilty of conspiring to support terrorist groups including Al Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a Pakistan based outfit blamed for the Nov 26 Mumbai attacks.
Syed Haris Ahmed, who provided videos of important places in Washington to LeT and Al Qaeda operatives, now faces up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)said Wednesday after a trial court in Georgia found Ahmed guilty of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.
Dutch political expert links Wilders to Mossad
By IRNA,
Berlin : A Berlin-based Dutch political expert did 'not rule out' that Dutch politician Geert Wilders was in fact working for Israel's notorious Mossad secret service.
Five Iraqi soldiers killed in separate attacks
By IANS,
Baghdad : Two Iraqi army officers and three soldiers were killed and three other people wounded in separate attacks in northern and eastern Iraq on Tuesday, police said.
UAE, Japan discuss security cooperation
By IANs/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Japan have held talks over strengthening security cooperation and coordination against narcotics.
Two killed in motorcycle bombing on convoy of Iraqi lawmaker in Baghdad
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : A motorcycle bomb attack struck a convoy of a Shiite lawmaker in eastern Baghdad on Thursday, killing two guards and wounding four others, including the lawmaker, an Interior Ministry source said.
"Saleh al-Ugaily, a lawmaker from Sadr political movement, survived with wounds a booby trapped motorcycle explosion parked on a main road in the Habibiyah neighborhood when Ugaily's convoy passed by," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Political uncertainity in Pakistan aiding terrorists: India
By IANS,
New Delhi : The political uncertainty in Pakistan leading to “multiple centres of power” is giving terrorists more room to maneuvre, a senior Indian official said Thursday, a day ahead of Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's three-day visit to India.
“There is much more room for all the (terrorist) groups to work because the political uncertainty in Pakistan has led to multiple centres of power,” the official said.
Latest figures in Iran’s Presidential Elections
By IRNA,
Tehran : According to the latest results of Iran’s Presidential Election, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has got 65.24 percent of the votes.
Head of the Elections Headquarters Kamran Daneshjoo told reporters Saturday morning that 35,268 ballot boxes had been counted until 5:50 am which were 77.13 percent of the total boxes.
According to Daneshjoo, out of 28,050,761 counted votes, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has got 18,302,924 votes which constitutes 65.24 percent of the total counted votes.
NATO and UAE discuss cooperation
By IANS
Abu Dhabi : Discussions are underway between NATO and the United Arab Emirates to cooperate in line with the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI), according to the NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, WAM news agency reported Saturday.
The NATO Secretary General, who is here for talks with the UAE leadership, said that relations between the region and NATO should be based on trust so that full understanding could be achieved.
Bahrain postpones trial of opposition leader to March 25
Dubai : Bahrain's Upper Criminal Court decided Wednesday to postpone the trial of a high profile opposition leader until next month.
The trial of Shaikh...
Iran hits record high in crude oil output
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Iran's crude production has reached its highest level since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the country's oil minister said on Wednesday.
Iran produced 4.184 million barrels of crude on Tuesday, Gholam-Hossein Nozari said. He added that the Islamic Republic intends to reach production levels of 4.2 million barrels a day by March 20, the end of the year according to the Iranian calendar.
Pakistan successfully test-fires nuclear missile
By KUNA
Islamabad : Pakistan successfully test-fired on Friday a nuclear-capable missile, one week after it conducted the test of another medium range nuclear missile, said military.
Pakistan has test-fired a new Ghuari Hataf-V Ballistic missile, a technologically enhanced device with a range of 1300 km, said military in a statement.
The test was conducted at the conclusion of annual ASFC exercises. It was witnessed by President Pervez Musharraf, Chief of Army Staff Ashfaque Pervaiz Kayani and other high military officials.
Military death toll rises in Afghanistan
By IRNA,
Kabul : More American and coalition troops died in Afghanistan last month than during any other month since the American-led invasion began in 2001.
IRNA reporter in Kabul said that it is the latest evidence of a strengthening Taliban insurgency that has menaced NATO forces and reclaimed control over some southern and eastern parts of the country.
The violence in Afghanistan has surged at the same time as the number of attacks and American deaths in Iraq have fallen.
Pakistan PM, Afghan president, British PM discuss regional situation
Islamabad : Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif met his British counterpart David Cameron along with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Friday for a breakfast meeting...
‘Israel grabbing Palestinian soil in the name of preserving history’
London: Israeli settlers are colonising Palestinian territory under the guise of protecting archaeological sites, the British government has said, according to media reports.
British ministers...
Eight killed in Baghdad attack
By IANS,
Baghdad : At least eight people were killed and 14 wounded Wednesday in a mortar attack followed by gunfire at a crowded market in northwestern Baghdad, Xinhua reported.
The attack occurred after midday when three mortar rounds landed in a busy market in the al-Jawadein neighbourhood. It was followed by another attack by unknown armed men riding several vehicles. They targeted money exchange offices and jewellery shops, a source told Xinhua.
The attackers stormed the shops with hand grenades and small arms fire, the source said.
More than 360 dead in Israel’s Gaza offensive
By DPA,
Gaza/Tel Aviv : At least 10 people died Tuesday on the fourth day of Israeli airstrikes across Gaza, bringing the Palestinian toll of Operation Cast Lead to more than 360 dead and 1,700 injured.
Two sisters, aged four and 11, were killed immediately when the donkey cart they were riding in Beit Lahiya, north of Gaza City, was hit by an Israeli missile, Gaza emergency services chief Mo'awia Hassanein said.
Seven other Palestinians died when Israeli F16
fighter jets bombed the house of a Hamas commander in the same town.
Iran’s conservatives strengthen control over parliament
By RIA Novosti,
Tehran : Iran's conservatives have strengthened their majority in parliament, winning 52 of the 82 seats being contested in a run-off, national election authorities said.
Iran's English-language channel Press-TV quoted the Interior Ministry Election Headquarters as saying 30 reformist candidates also won seats in the Majlis in Friday's vote.
The election was for constituencies in which no parties gained over 70% in last month's first round, in which the conservatives also won a majority of votes for the 290-seat parliament.
Palestinian militants consider Israeli partial pullout of Erez “victory”
By Xinhua,
Gaza : Palestinian militants on Monday said an Israeli decision to pull non-combat soldiers out of a crossing point with the Hamas-rule Gaza Strip was a victory for resistance movements against the Jewish state.
"The Zionist enemy gradually admits what happened... this is a new victory for the resistance," said Abu Ahmed, spokesman for the Islamic Jihad military wing.
UN to assemble Gaza flotilla investigation team Sunday
By DPA,
Dubai: The United Nations is to assemble Sunday an international commission that will investigate the killing of nine activists aboard a Gaza-bound aid ship by Israeli commandos in May, the broadcaster al-Arabiya reported Saturday.
Israel would cooperate with the commission, according to the report, which quoted diplomats at UN headquarters in New York.
The commission is reportedly to deliberate for the first time August 10 in New York.
US should not decide if Iran is making nukes: India
By IANS,
New Delhi : India said Wednesday that the US had no right to decide unilaterally whether or not Iran was making nuclear weapons.
“The US should not take the responsibility on itself to determine whether Iran is making nuclear weapons or not,” External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said here.
He said such a ruling should be left to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) since Iran was a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and will have to abide by the agency's guidelines.
Special voting begins in Iraq
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : Special voting for soldiers, police personnel, prisoners and employees started early Wednesday ahead of Saturday's provincial election in Iraq.
The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) of Iraq expected that around 700,000 people will participate in the early voting, including 600,000 security personnel and 50,000 prisoners.
Earlier, the IHEC said that it has assigned up to 358 voting centres, which include a total of 1,632 voting stations across the country for the early voting process.
Malaysian rulers to have final say on yoga ban
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : The Sultans, the constitutional heads in Malaysian states, have cautioned against a hasty enforcement of an edict banning yoga exercises for Muslims, indicating that they, and the state level clergy would have the final say in the matter that has generated much debate.
154 illegal immigrants rescued from Sudan-Libya border
Khartoum : Sudanese authorities have rescued 154 illegal immigrants from the Sudan-Libya border, a media report said on Tuesday.
The immigrants were onboard a truck...
Global housing firm: Rebuilding Gaza will take 20 years
Jerusalem : An international organization involved in assessing post-conflict reconstruction says it will take 20 years under current levels of restrictions to rebuild the...
UN Secretary-General urges Israeli PM to ease blockade on Gaza
By NNN-KUNA,
United Nations : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to express his "deep concern" over the consequences of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza because of the blockade imposed on Gaza for the last two weeks.
"He strongly urged the prime minister to facilitate the freer movement of urgently needed humanitarian supplies and of concerned United Nations personnel into Gaza," Ban's press office said in a statement Tuesday.
Israel says it shares Obama’s hope for peace with Arabs, Muslims
By DPA,
Jerusalem : Israel said Thursday that it shared US President Barack Obama's hope for peace with the Arab and Muslim world.
In an official statement reacting to the landmark speech to the Muslim world Obama made Thursday, the Israeli government expressed its hope "that the important speech of President Obama in Cairo will indeed lead to a new era of reconciliation between Arab and Muslim world".
‘Pakistan army to seek Musharraf’s resignation within a week’
By IANS,
London : Pakistan's army chief General Ashfaq Kiyani will ask President Pervez Musharraf to resign from office within a week, a British newspaper reported Saturday.
The Daily Telegraph quoted an unnamed senior government official from the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party as saying the army has "whispered in Musharraf's ear that it is time to leave".
"Over the next few days they will make it clear to him (Musharraf) that a protracted battle (against impeachment) is not in Pakistan's interests," he added.
Daily despairs lack of leadership in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad : A leading Pakistani daily is upset over the cowardice of civilian leaders who don't "name and shame" those responsible for terror attacks.
Oman to Modi: Sorry, we have not invited you
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: To Narendra Modi, now humiliation and embarrassment have come from Oman with the Arab country publicly denying that it ever invited him to visit the country. UK and America have more than once shut their doors on the Gujarat Chief Minister for the most heinous ever communal pogrom of 2002 that was orchestrated under his rule.
US plans bigger role in training Pakistani forces
By IANS
Washington : Even as Pakistan is getting ready to install a democratically elected government after many years, the US is planning to significantly increase the size and scope of its role in military training in the country.
The US is to send about 100 trainers to work with a Pakistani paramilitary force fighting the Al Qaeda and other extremist groups in the restive tribal areas, American military officials have said, The New York Times reported Sunday.
Dhaka names ex-intelligence sleuth, diplomat as deserter
By IANS,
Dhaka: The Bangladesh government has declared as deserter an army brigadier general who was a top military intelligence official posted in its mission in Washington last year.
Brigadier General Chowdhury Fazlul Bari could face a court martial if he returns home, The Daily Star said Sunday.
Bari lives with his family in Washington after his leave was rejected and he relinquished charge at the embassy. He has the support of his in-laws who are American citizens.
Death toll from Jordan bus accident rises to 22
By Xinhua
Amman : The death toll from Saturday's traffic accident on a highway between the Jordanian capital of Amman and the northern city of Irbid rose to 22, The Jordan Times reported on Monday.
A public transportation bus carrying 48 passengers collided with a water tanker near Salhoub Bridge north of Amman, causing the Kingdom's most serious road accident in two years.
The official news agency Petra reported on Saturday that 20 people were killed and 16 others injured in the accident.
Moscow expects talk on Iran’s nuclear program to resume
By IRNA,
Moscow : Russian deputy foreign minister said Russia expects talk between Iran and European union (EU) on Iran's nuclear program to resume following this week meeting in Geneva.
Sergei Kyslyak told reporters here Monday that 5+1 group countries, including Russia, believe that Iran's nuclear problem can be solved in such a way that Iran's interests can be secured too.
Arab invasion in Syria ‘not an option’: UN envoy
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The UN's new envoy to Syria has said a military intervention in the country by Arab forces is not on the cards.
Lebanese Speaker on European, Arab tours for support
By Xinhua
Beirut : Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri is on tours to Europe and Arab countries lobbying support for a new round of dialogue among Lebanese rival groups, in afresh attempt to solve the current political crisis, local Al Balad daily reported Wednesday.
Berri who leaves Paris for Italy on Wednesday is expected to meet with senior officials at the Vatican to discuss the Lebanese problem, the daily added.
Pakistan vows to continue fight against terror
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan Sunday reaffirmed its determination to fight against terrorism on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attack.
Pakistan urges US to find alternative to drones
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan has asked the US to find alternatives to drone strikes for the purpose of eliminating terrorists.
Embassy advises Kuwaitis in Lebanon to leave
By KUNA,
Beirut : The Kuwaiti Embassy in Beirut has advised its citizens in Lebanon to leave the country in light of the "extraordinary" circumstances taking place.
Kuwait's Charge d'Affaires Tareq Al-Hamad, in a statement to KUNA on Thursday, said the embassy had prepared an evacuation plan for Kuwaitis who wished to leave the country.
He called on all Kuwaitis in the country to call the embassy.
20 people killed in Bangladesh accidents
Dhaka : At least 20 people were killed and 30 injured in two separate accidents occurred over the weekend in Bangladesh, police said...
UN: One Million Afghans at Risk
By Prensa Latina
United Nations : The UN World Food Program warned on Monday that more than a million Afghans in rural areas of that Asian country are at risk of famine, due to a rise in food prices.
According to the UN agency, the rise in the price of wheat, vegetable cooking oil and produce has put food security of 1.3 million Afghans in a high-risk situation.
Afghanistan WFP Director Rick Corsino's statements, published in the UN headquarters, said those people were previously considered to be on the border of food-insecurity.
Around 350 held in Dubai for law violation
By IANS/WAM,
Dubai : A total of 346 people, including street vendors, beggars and car washers, have been arrested in Dubai for violating the law in the emirate.
Ahmadinejad: Iraq’s stability important for region
By NNN-Xinhua,
Ankara : Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Friday Iraq's territorial integrity and stability were in the interest of all countries in the region.
Ahmadinejad, who arrived in Istanbul Thursday on a two-day working visit, made the remarks at a press conference in the Turkish largest city, reported Turkey's semi-official Anatolia news agency.
‘Stranded Pakistanis’ to get voting rights in Bangladesh
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh's Election Commission has moved to register the 160,000 Urdu-speaking 'stranded Pakistanis' in its revised electoral rolls, thereby allowing them to vote for the first time in the history of the country liberated from Pakistan in 1971.
Also dubbed 'Biharis', since a bulk of them moved from India's Bihar province after the partition and creation of Pakistan in 1947, they were granted Bangladeshi citizenship through a high court verdict in May.
Abbas receives 198 freed Palestinian prisoners in Ramallah
By Xinhua,
Ramallah : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian National Authority (PNA) officials as well as thousands of cheering Palestinians received 198 prisoners who were freed from Israeli jails on Monday.
Men and women, relatives of the freed prisoners were dancing and singing while waving the Palestinian flags and those of President Abbas' Fatah movement. Huge posters of the two oldest freed prisoners were hanged on the walls.
Australia Denounces Anti-Islam Film
By Bernama
Melbourne : Australia has added its voice to the international chorus of outrage over an anti-Islam film posted on the internet by a right-wing Dutch politician.
Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Geert Wilders' film, "Fitna" equated Islam with acts of terror and violence and was "highly offensive".
"It is an obvious attempt to generate discord between faith communities," Smith is quoted by the Australian Associated Press as saying.
"Like leaders in the Muslim world and in Europe, I strongly reject the ideas contained in the film and deplore its release.
Dubai to stop cigarette sale on World No Tobacco Day
By IANS/WAM,
Dubai: Dubai has urged traders not to sell cigarettes for at least 24 hours at petrol stations and shops on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day May 31.
Three NATO soldiers killed in Afghan blast
By IANS,
Kabul: Three NATO soldiers were killed Tuesday in a blast in restive southern Afghanistan, the military alliance said in a statement.
France to withdraw troops from Afghanistan in 2013
By IANS,
Paris: France plans to withdraw its military contingent from Afghanistan in 2013, French President Nicholas Sarkozy has said.
Pakistani army chief discusses security with Zardari, PM
By Muhammad Najeeb,IANS,
Islamabad : Top government officials on the last day of year Wednesday continued discussions on relations with India after the Mumbai attacks amid a report in the US media that top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zarar Shah has confessed to the group's involvement in the Nov 26-29 mayhem in India's commercial capital.
Pakistani Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani held important but separate meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and according to the presidential spokesman "discussed with him professional matters".
Pakistan dismisses as rubbish Osama’s presence claim
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has dismissed as rubbish claim by the US military chief that al-Qaeda chief, Osama bin Laden, is in Pakistan.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States, Admiral Mike Mullen, said in Islamabad on Saturday that the al-Qaeda chief is hiding somewhere in Pakistan.
“"I believe Osama is here in Pakistan.", Mullen told reporters at the American embassy after holding talks with Pakistan’s army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani.
Italy to send military instructors to help Libyan rebels
By IANS,
Rome : Italy would send 10 military instructors to help Libyan rebels in the battle against forces led by Muammar Gaddafi, Italian Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa has said.
Israeli missile wounds 3 militants in Gaza
By Xinhua,
Gaza : Three Palestinian militants were wounded early on Sunday in an Israeli strike in central Gaza Strip,near the border with Israel, sources said.
The sources added that the Israeli artillery shelling followed an explosion as Israeli forces infiltrated for 150 meters into the east of al-Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza Strip.
The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), an armed group loyal to Hamas, said the wounded gunmen were from its members and that they set off a bomb, targeting the invading troops, before the Israeli tanks attacked them.
FM: Iraq demands clear timeline for troops pullout
By Xinhua,
Baghdad : Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Sunday that the United States must provide a "very clear timeline" for its troops to withdraw in the ongoing negotiations on a security deal.
The talks by the U.S. and Iraqi negotiators "are still underway. They have achieved substantial progress, and are very close to reaching a final agreement," Zebari was quoted by the official al-Iraqia TV as saying.
The agreement would probably be presented to the Iraqi parliament for approval early in September, he said.
Five soldiers killed in terrorist attack in Yemen
Aden: At least five soldiers were killed Tuesday in a terrorist attack at the military checkpoint in Yemen's southeastern province of Hadramout, a provincial...
Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh may escape Pakistani gallows
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS,
Islamabad : Sarabjit Singh, the Indian prisoner on death row in Pakistan - and some 7,000 others might escape the gallows with the law and justice ministry asking the interior ministry to commute all death sentences to life imprisonment.
Law and Justice Minister Farooq H. Naek said Friday his ministry has sent a note on this to the interior ministry, which after considering it, will present it to the cabinet for approval. Hopefully the decision will be implemented "soon", he added.
Bangladesh opposition leader denied bail
Dhaka: Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the acting secretary general of Bangladesh's main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was Thursday denied bail in two...
China sends aid to flood-hit Pakistan
By IANS,
Beijing : China Thursday dispatched the first batch of its nearly $5 million emergency aid to flood-hit Pakistan, Xinhua reported.
UAE capital tightens fire safety codes for buildings
By IANS,
Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates is set to implement enhanced fire safety requirements for buildings in the capital from early 2010, WAM news agency reported Monday.
The city's Department of Municipal Affairs (DMA) is implementing stringent processes and procedures to enforce the new codes across the construction industry.
"Ensuring safety for the community of Abu Dhabi is at the heart of everything we do," said Rashid Al Hajeri, chairman of Department of Municipal Affairs and chairman of the Building Codes Higher Council.
Satellite communication set-up for Abu Dhabi motor rally
By IANS,
Abu Dhabi: An advanced satellite telecommunications facility will be provided during the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in order to ensure smooth functioning of the international motor sport tournament, organisers announced Tuesday.
The 20th edition of the annual rally, organised by the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE), will include various competitions of two-wheelers, quad-bikes, cars and trucks.
Terrorists not to impact ties with Pakistan: China
By IANS,
Beijing : Terrorists trained in Pakistan will not affect the friendship between Beijing and Islamabad, said an official Wednesday.
Palestinian forces arrest 17 Hamas members in West Bank
By Xinhua,
Ramallah : Palestinian security forces arrested 17 members of Hamas movement in the West Bank on Thursday, the Islamic movement said.
The arrests were conducted in West Bank cities of Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron and Tulkarem by security forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement, a Hamas statement said.
The arrests are part of a crackdown the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) launched against Hamas supporters in the West Bankafter Hamas took over the Gaza Strip by force last year.
Sixteen candidates withdraw from Kuwait”s 2008 parliamentary race
By KUNA,
Kuwait : Sixteen more candidates running in the upcoming parliamentary polls have dropped out of the race, bringing the total number of running candidates to 300 out of the original number of 380.
According to the Interior Ministry's Department of Elections' Affairs, the first constituency lost Abdulrahman Al-Sharrah and Hisham Al-Siddiqi, while Farraj Al-Mutairi withdrew from the second constituency.
In the third constituency the withdrawing candidates were Adnan Al-Shatti and Mohammad Al-Barrak.
10,000 men guarding Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal: official
By IANS,
Islamabad : About 10,000 security personnel are guarding Pakistan's nuclear arsenal and Western fears about the safety of the weapons are unfounded, a senior official has said.
Air Commodore Khalid Banuri, director of arms control and disarmament affairs at the Strategic Plans Division (SPD), said that Pakistan's �command and control structure' for the weapons was better than that of many other nuclear-armed states, and many countries had officially acknowledged this, DawnNews reported Thursday.
Eighteen US marines killed, injured in attack on MNF base in Kirkuk
By NNN-KUNA,
Baghdad : Eighteen US marines were killed and injured in an attack on a Multi-National Force (MNF) base in Kirkuk, northern Iraq.
A statement by the MNF said that a suicide bomber drove a vehicle, rigged with explosives, into the base and detonated his lethal charge leading to the casualties Sunday.
A US soldier met his fate during the incident. The injured were rushed to field infirmaries for treatment.
With the new casualties, the US has lost 4,094 soldiers since the operation Iraqi freedom began in March 2003.
Ten US marines have so far been killed in June.
Israeli army rolls into SE Gaza Strip
By Xinhua
Gaza : Israeli troops rolled into southeastern Gaza Strip on Thursday amid heavy machine gunfire, sparking reactions from Palestinian fighters, witnesses said.
The militants rushed to the al-Shouka neighborhood in the east of border town of Rafah and fired mortar shells at the Israeli tanks and bulldozers, the witnesses said.
There were no reports of casualties on both sides. However, the Israeli bulldozers caused damage to makeshift houses and groves.
Inadequate information received on Hafiz Saeed, claims Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad: Six days after India provided additional information on the involvement of Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Pakistan Thursday said this was inadequate.
At the same time, it expressed confidence that the upcoming meetings between the foreign secretaries and foreign ministers of the two countries would lead to progress for resumption of the composite dialogue process that India had frozen in the wake of the Mumbai mayhem.